PEROU – Cabeza de Vaca - With their striking coral-colored spurs, spondylus shells were more precious than gold to the people of pre-conquest Peru and archaeologists exploring ruins outside this northern city have found a “bank” where the Inca empire stored its reserves in the forms of elaborately carved jewelry. The team working at the Cabeza de Vaca site outside Tumbes, near the border with Ecuador, have found the only known Inca workshop dedicated to crafting pieces from spondylus. Excavations have unearthed pieces in the shapes of birds and corn kernels as well as an Andean cross, “chacana,” that was part of noble attire in Inca times, Oliver Huaman, the director of the Cabeza de Vaca project, told EFE. Spondylus is found only in the warm waters of the Gulf of Guayaquil, off the Ecuadorian coast. The shells were brought to the Cabeza de Vaca complex, where they were transformed into pieces for distribution across Tahuantinsuyo – the Inca domain that extended from southern Colombia to northern Argentina. Those treasures, like other goods, traveled via the Qhapaz Ñan, the 30,000-kilometer (18,650-mile) network of roads built by the Incas. The shells, called “mullu” in the indigenous Quechua language, have been found at most burial sites of prominent figures of Peru’s pre-Columbian cultures.“There’s this myth of a god who fed on spondylus at an Andean lagoon near Lima, located nearly 4,300 meters (14,100 feet) above sea level, and is called Mullucocha (spondylus lake),” Huaman said. Rosa Maria Valverde, director of archaeological research at Cabeza de Vaca, said spondylus was also used for food offerings to the gods.“Mullu extraction is not easy since they adhere to rocks 15 to 30 meters (50 to 100 feet) under water, which required expert divers and the use of different techniques to get the shells from the sea,” Valverde said. Huaman said that some skulls found in the area show a callus in the area of the ear that was common among divers as a result of the effects of water pressure at great depths

TURQUIE – Mesotimolos - Mesotimolos, a city from the Lydian civilization near Düzköy in Uşak's Eşme district, is about to be the subject of archeological studies. Its rocky houses, graves and human footprints in its volcanic remains will be unearthed after scientific studies and will hopefully become a center for history and nature tourism thanks to its geographic beauty and fairy chimney formations. The carved houses and tombs in Mesotimolos can be seen in the valley surrounded by volcanic rocks while it is also possible to come across thousands-of-years-old human footprints in the volcanic remains of the region. Okur said, "This is an area that needs to be investigated and examined. There are many ruins belonging to ancient civilizations in the region, which are very valuable reminders that will be brought to the surface by scientific research. It is a historic area that has remained untouched." Noting that the region has attracted attention thanks to its formation of fairy chimneys, Okur said they wanted to bring the region into a more prominent place in Turkish history and nature tourism. Stating that the archaeological work will make a significant contribution to the recognition of the region, Okur continued: "The formations of fairy chimneys are worth seeing. This is not a very well-known region. I invite all nature lovers to this beautiful hiking area. It is a region that needs to be recognized and visited." Suggesting that transportation to the region will be made easier, Okur said more visitors will come to the region with the increase in scientific studies, and stressed that due to its proximity to the Ulubey Canyons, its popularity can quickly increase. Conducting soil analysis in the region, Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Atasoy from Uşak University, Faculty of Science and Literature, Department of Geography stated that the research they carried out in the field is ongoing, adding that the region is waiting to be discovered both geographically and historically. Stressing that the age of the human footprints found in the volcanic remains in the field and presumed to be thousands of years old should be determined and the footprints immediately protected, Atasoy said: "We think the footprints belong to the years when the volcanic formation took place. There are similar volcanic structures in the Kula region. In the region, there are rock dwellings and tunnels that go to the valley. In this sense, it is a region with archaeological value. There are strong clues that it was an ancient settlement." He also stressed that a feasibility study should be conducted urgently, the ages of the formations should be determined, and a team of archaeologists should carry out work in the region.

ROYAUME UNI – Shoreditch -A secret passageway has been found beneath the stage of the Curtain Theater in East London. The theater is where William Shakespeare's Henry V — and possibly Romeo and Juliet — were first performed. The remains of the Curtain Theater were first discovered in Shoreditch in 2011, about three meters (9.0 feet) below the surface of the development. The theater was in use from 1577 until 1625, when plays were moved to The Globe Theater. But the Curtain Theater has the distinction of having the longest history of use for any of the Shakespearean theaters in all of London. The exact location of the theater in Shoreditch was unknown, although it took its name from its location on Curtain Street. Interestingly, the Curtain was intentionally built as a rectangular playhouse, and more astounding, the stage itself was much longer than originally thought. It also had a flat front, and this perplexed the researchers. And unlike the Globe, there was no backstage area where actors could change costumes. The stage is 14 meters (46 feet) long, and five meters (16 feet) wide, "purposely built to totally immerse the public in the entertainment, according to a statement from MOLA. More recently, after three more months of excavation, a passageway below the stage has been found, with doors at either end suggests the stage itself was built over the passageway. The passageway allowed movement underneath the stage so actors could pass from one side of the stage to the other without being seen.VIDEO =http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/science/secret-passage-found-under-stage-of-shakespeare-s-curtain-theater/article/479366

USA – Waco - In Waco during the 1900s pockets of Hispanic communities lived in neighborhoods with names like Sandtown, White City and Calle Dos. These areas were eventually demolished and are now memories of the town’s early days. But there has been a recent effort to unearth a remaining vestige of one of these communities.At the corner of Jefferson Avenue and University Parks Drive, volunteers use trowels to chip away at the ground beneath .They’re slowly unearthing a spring-fed water fountain known as “La Pila.”La Pilla – Spanish for “the fountain” – was a gathering point for Calle Dos, an early 20th century neighborhood in Waco that was home to Mexican Immigrants. Others from around the city would go there too. But, in the 50s, La Pila was plugged and covered up. In fact, the entire Calle Dos neighborhood and similar districts – were bulldozed as part of The Waco Urban Renewal Project in 1958. But unearthing the fountain will take time. La Pila is estimated to be some 4 to 5 feet under ground, and volunteers here are digging 10 centimeters deep at a time, says Annaliese Sonntag.http://kwbu.org/post/unearthing-la-pila-remnant-bygone-hispanic-neighborhood